Container with reclosure and shield device



Oct. 28, 1952 A. J. WHITE CONTAINER WITH RECLOSURE AND SHIELD DEVICEFiled Dec. 26, 1947 45 JNVENTOR Patented ct. 28, 1952 CONTAINER WITHRECLOSUREKAND v SHIELD DEVICEr Arthur J. White, Hempstead, .y Y.,assignor to American lCan Company,vNew.-Yo rk, -N. Y., 'a corporation ofNew Jersey l v Application December 26, 1947, Serial N 0.7.93,883

The present invention relates to sheet metal containers or cans adaptedto be opened by pressingj'a scored portion inwardly and has particularreference to such a container or can having means for shielding the rawedge of the opened portion andl for reclosing the opened portion.

An object of the invention is the provision of a container or canwherein the raw edge left by pressing inwardly a scored portion of thecan to provide a dispensing opening therein, is shielded to protect theconsumer against injury when opening the can.

Another object is the provision of such a container or can wherein theraw edge shielding means has the additional function of serving as areclosure element for the opened container or can.

Another object is the provision of such a container or can wherein theshield and reclosure may be made as a unitary structure which iseconomical and efficient and readily attached to a container or can. f

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed can embodying the instantinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane indicated by the lines 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 and showing certain of the parts ofthe can in a different position for dispensing the contents of the can;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a sealed canembodying a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane indicated by the lines 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a further modifiedform of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along a planeindicated by the lines 1-1 in Fig. 6, with parts broken away, and withthe movable part rotated into the position shown in dot and dash linesin Fig. 6. i

As a preferred and exemplified embodiment of the instant invention Figs.1, 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate a conventional rectangular shapedcan having rounded corners' and used for hold- 5 Claims. (01.22977)orzngerof the' consumer.

ing condiments, granular substances or other dry materials includingcocoa, dried milk, ground or bean coiiee'la'nd the like. The canincludes a iibre body I;I having a metal countersunk panel bottomwIZ anda, similar metal top I3 secured thereto'in suitable end seams I4. Thecountersunk' panel of the top member I3 is formed witha..ourvedorzsemi-circular score linev I5 which defines a curved orsemi-circular.depressible area lwliich is readily broken and bentdownwardly andin'wardly into` the can yby pressure of a thumb When sodepressed the area I6 breaks away along the score line I5andbendsfialonga line connecting the terminal en`dsofthe"curved scoreline; and thus forms a dispensing opening I1r for the contents of thcaniasbest. shown in Fig. 3.

Provision is'made for protecting the consumer against'injury from theraw curved edge which remains in the top I3'when the metal of the top isbroken along the score line I5 during the opening of the can. For thispurpose" the top of the can'fislf'providedr with an overcap 2l made offibre' or `other suitable, preferably soft material. Thisvercapfunctions as a shield 2I which lies flat'against the sheet metal top I3on its outer surface. f This shield preferably is the same shape asthe'top of the can and just large enough to t within its sunken panel. Alongthe straight portions of the top, the top end seam I4 may be crimped-`finwardly to form retaining lugs 22 which ,projectover the edges of theshield as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and retain the shield or overcapagainst displacement.

'Above-fthe Vdepressible scored area I6 in the top I3, the shield 2I isout through along a curved line Aof severance 24 whichy is adjacent butspaced inwardly from the score line I5 in the top member, so that anoverlapping ledge 25 of the shield projects Aover and thus shields thesharply severed edge. The ends of the curved line of severance k24 inthe shield preferably terminate adjacent Athe terminal ends of the scoreline I5, and are yconnected by a straight ycrease line 26 which;together with the line of severance 24 deneareclosure flap or member 21which is hingeable" upward1y along the crease line. The crease line 26thus constitutes a hinge for the reclosurev member. lA lifting tab 3|secured by a wire staple"32` to the reclosure member 21 may beprovidedfor easy lifting or hinging of the reclosure member into an openposition as best shown vin Fig. 3.

Thus when it is desired to open the can, the. reclosure flap 21 is firstraised or hinged into an 3 open position by pulling on the lifting tab3| as shown in Fig. 3. This provides an opening in the shield whichexposes the depressible area I6 in the can top member |3 so that thisarea may be broken inwardly to provide the dispensing opening l1. Sincethe score line is disposed or hidden under the' ledge 25 of the shield2| beyond the defining line of severance 24 of the reclosure ap 21, thesharp raw edge which results from the breaking of the score line is outof reach and the fingers of the consumer are thereby protected againstinjury therefrom. After a partial dispensing of the contents of thecontainer by spoon or other tool, or by pouring, the

reclosure flap 21 may be returned to its normal closed position in theshield opening as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and thereby reclose thecontainer for storage.

In some cases it may be desirable to omit the reclosure fiap 21 from theshield. In such cases the shield may be made shorter, as indicated bythe dot and dash line 35, and slideable along the top of the can. Such ashorter shield would be provided with an opening, which is movable intoand out of register with the dispensing opening |1, the effectiveregistrable openingof the shield being smaller than the dispensingopening of the inner top in order to shield the raw edge of thedispensing opening.

In the modified form of the invention as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, theshield 2| is applied to a round can comprising a sheet metal body 4Ihaving a sheet metal countersunk top 42 permanently attached thereto bya suitable interfolded end seam 44. As in the preferred form of theinvention, the top member 42 of the round can is formed with a curved orsemi-circular score line 45 which defines a depressible area 46 which isbreakable or bendable downwardly and inwardly into the can to provide adispensing opening.

In this round can, the shield 2| with its protecting ledge and hingeablereclosure flap 21, is circular in shape to fit the can and is disposedin the countcrsunk panel of the top 42 as in the preferred embodiment.The shield is retained in place by a plurality of inwardly bent lugportions 48 of the top end seam 44, which project over the peripheraledge of the shield.

In order to prevent rotation of the shield 2| relative to the can top42, the can top is formed with a locating bead or projection 49 which isstruck outwardly from the can top at a place opposite the depressiblearea 46 and which extends up into a locating aperture 5| formed in theshield. The engagement of the bead 49 in the aperture 5| maintains thereclosure flap 21 of the shield in proper register with the depressiblearea 4S in the can top 42.

As in the preferred form of the invention, the reclosure element 21 ofthe modified form of the shield 2| is raised to expose the depressiblearea 46 in the can top 42 so that this area may be forced inwardly toprovide a dispensing opening for the can. In this modified form also thescore line 45 is covered by the ledge 25 of the shield and thus thesharp raw edge which results from the breaking of the score line is outof reach and the hand of the consumer is thereby protected againstinjury therefrom. In this can 'the reclosure fiap 21 may be returned toits original closed position for reclosing the vcan for storage.

A further modified form of thevinvention as shown in Figs. 6 and 7discloses av can similar to that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and having ashield or overcap 55 which is provided with an opening 56 of similarcontour to that of the depressible area 46 in the can top, but ofslightly smaller dimensions. There is no reclosure flap on this shield.The shield lies fiat against the can top and is rotatable thereon tomove the opening 56 into and out of register withthe depressible area4S. The end seam of the can is curled inwardly over the shield to retainit in place. Since the effective registrable opening in the shield isslightly smaller than the depressible area 48, the shield thus overlapsthe score line 45 when the opening 56 in the shield is in register withthe depressible area and hence the raw edge left by the breaking of thescore line when the depressible area is forced inwardly, is covered toguard against inflicting injury on the consumer.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A container having in a metallic wall section thereof a score linesetting off a depressible area bendable inwardly to produce a dispensingopening for the container, a shield disposed over said metallic wallsection and having an opening opposite to and smaller' than saiddepressible area, the material of said shield projecting over said scoreline for shielding the raw cutting edge of the metal resulting from thebreaking of said score line when said depressible area is bent inwardlyto produce said dispensing opening, and a reclosure element in saidshield for reclosing the dispensing opening in said container.

2. A container having in a metallic wall section thereof a score linesetting off a depressible area bendable inwardly to produce a dispensingopening for the container, a movable shield disposed over said metallicWall section and having an opening therein registrable with saiddepressible area, the effective registrable opening in the shield beingsmaller than the depressible area in the metallic wall sction of saidcontainer leaving a projecting portion for shielding the raw edge of themetal resulting from the breaking of said score line when saiddepressible area is bent inwardly to produce said dispensing opening,and a reclosure element embodied in said shield for reclosing thedispensing opening in said container.

3. A container having a metallic wall section in which a score line setsoff a depressible area bendable inwardly to break said wall along saidscore line, a shield disposed in protecting relation over said wallsection, said shield being provided with an aperture smaller than andaligned with said depressible area with a portion of said shieldadjacent the edge of said aperture extending over said score line andsaid depressible area to serve as a guard against injury of the consumerby contact with the raw edge of an opening made in said metallic wallsection when said score line is broken by pressure applied to saiddepressible area.

4. A container having a body, a metallic end member secured to said bodyin an end seam, a score line cut in said end member and setting off adepressible area, said depressible area being engageable by a finger ofthe user and under pressure being bendable inwardly along an unscoredline of bend to produce a dispensing opening in the container endmember, and a shield in contact with said metallic end member, saidshield having an opening smaller than said depressible area and locateddirectly over the same, the periphery of said shield opening projectinginward- 1y beyond said score line in said end member and closelyshielding the raw cutting edge of the metal resulting from the breakingof said score line when said depressible area is bent inwardly in theforming of said dispensing opening.

5. A container having a score line setting oil a depressible area in ametallic wall section thereof, said depressible area being engageable bya finger of the user and under pressure being bendable inwardly along anUnscored line of bend to produce a dispensing opening for the container,and a shield movably held in contact with said wall section, said shieldhaving an opening registrable with said depressible area, the effectivey Number opening oi' said shield when so registered being smaller thansaid depressible area leaving a proliecting portion of the shield forshielding the raw cutting edge of the metal resulting from the vbreakingof said score line when said depressible area is bent inwardly in theproduction of said dispensing opening.

. ARTHUR J. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Punte Aug. 21, 1945

